Thermodynamic Equilibrium
by DorthyAnnDrarry
Summary: Hogwarts Eighth Year \\ Not Epilogue Compliant \\ hot/cold dynamics \\ Cuddling & Snuggling \\ One-shot \\ Harry's far too hot. Draco's always cold. And somehow against all odds, together they create a perfect equilibrium.


Harry sat up with a start, rubbing his eyes as the vestiges of a nightmare faded into nothing in his mind. He gasped faintly in the quiet, dark room, fighting to slow his breathing, so he didn't wake his dorm mates. Harry no longer woke up screaming. He had trained himself out of it somehow, hating the worried expressions Molly would give him when he stayed the summer there, hating the awkward, helpless 'you alright, mate?' from Ron, hating the hugs and talks from Hermione.

Harry pushed his blankets back and slipped out of the dorm he shared with Ron and Neville, making his way to the common room. The cold air was a balm on his overheated skin, cooling the sweat soaked through the back of his teeshirt until he felt like he could breathe again.

Since the last battle, Harry constantly felt like he was overheating. It was as if coming back from the dead had put his body into overdrive. He ate more, and his skin was always too warm. And sometimes he had dreams of being a phoenix, bursting into flames with heat and fire prickling under his skin, making him something new and yet still the same. The healers said there was nothing wrong with him and nothing they could do except teach him stronger cooling charms and send him on his way.

Harry stopped short at the doorway; someone was sitting in the common room. They were by the fire, which had been stoked high, filling the room with flickering yellow light but very little warmth. The eighth years were moved to the third-floor corridor for the year, and the heating charms hadn't been repaired during the rebuilding. They were weak at best, and nonexistent at worst, which was most of the time.

Harry thought it was Ron or Ginny for a second but, once his eyes focused, he realised it was just the reflection of the fire off of white-blond hair.

Draco had pushed one end of the sofa right in front of the fireplace and sat on the edge of the plush violet cushion with his hands so close the fire it had to hurt. He stared at the fire blankly, looking through the flames without seeing them, occasional shivers wracking his body. Deep shadows of exhaustion ringed his eyes, just as they had every day since they had come back to school.

Harry silently crossed the room and sat down on the other side of the couch.

Draco's whole body flinched, his hand going for his wand until he saw who it was and hesitated.

"Sorry," Harry said.

Draco glared half-heartedly at Harry, his hands wending together in his lap, "Merlin Potter, can't you just go to sleep like a normal person?"

"I sleep," Harry said pushing his glasses up to rub his eyes.

Draco snorted. "When?" he said acidly.

"Between nightmares," Harry said, irritably pulling off his glasses and wiping off the smudges that he had just made with his teeshirt, "When do you sleep, Draco?"

Draco frowned at the 'Draco', but Harry refused to use his last name or anything that had to do with their stupid childhood feud.

"Around three or four, if I'm lucky," Draco said with surprising honesty.

Harry nodded and sighed, "Yeah." He glanced at the fire but found his eyes drawn back to Draco who was staring at him, his brows furrowed. Harry raised his own in a silent question.

"Why aren't you freezing your arse off?" Draco asked waving an annoyed hand at him.

Harry looked down at his thin tee shirt and sleep pants and shrugged.

Draco was wearing a matching green, flannel sleep shirt and pants, wrapped up in a robe that was so fluffy it looked like a fur coat with slippers to match and yet was still trembling from the cold.

Draco frowned furiously at his non-answer, so Harry reached out a hand. When Draco just stared at it, Harry waved impatiently. The stubborn shit glared at him like it was a trick.

Harry moved over, sitting right next to Draco and grabbed his wrist.

Draco flinched, his eyes widening, "Are you ill?"

Harry shook his head, "No. It's always like this." Draco's skin was thin, smooth and cold. It was as if he had been standing out in the snow. Harry could feel the heat leeching off his hand, cooling his hand. It felt …nice.

Harry blinked slowly, his eyes getting caught like they wanted to pull him into sleep, but the lingering heat remained, making him want to pull his clothes off or run outside and go flying. He'd done that once before and had ended up sick. It wasn't a good idea. Stripping naked probably wasn't either.

Draco was sitting on the edge of the couch, so still he could have been petrified. Harry chewed his bottom lip and then quickly shifted over until he was half behind Draco, wrapped his arms around him and leaned against Draco's back. He could feel Draco twitch and then go very still, his breathing quick and short as a rabbit.

Harry expected Draco to shove him and run. For a handful of tense seconds it seemed like he would but then Draco's breathing slowed, and he slowly eased back against Harry's chest until all his weight rested against him. His robe was just as soft as it looked. Harry kept expecting to feel the heat from Draco's back, for it to grow until it became uncomfortable and Harry would have to let go. But it didn't.

"You are far too warm for a normal human being," Draco said, his voice so tight it was almost strangled.

Harry leaned back into the couch, pulling Draco with him. "Since when have I ever been normal?" he asked, closing his eyes

There was a beat of silence, and then he could feel, more than hear, Draco laughing against him. Harry smiled against the fluffy robe, squeezing his arms around Draco's sides. He felt Draco slid his hands on top of Harry's, cold skin meeting hot. Harry spread his fingers so Draco's could slide his between them and sighed at the cool touch.

There was a long pause.

"I just want to sleep," Draco said faintly.

Harry hummed absentmindedly. He could feel the heat leeching off him until the coldness of the room could almost touch him. Right as it seemed like Harry would get cold, he started to feel the faint warmth of Draco's body rising, balancing his own. Harry could feel Draco breathing, the faint echo of his heartbeat through his back. Harry felt more relaxed and at ease than he had in months.

Harry's head fell back against the plush cushions of the couch and murmured, "Then sleep."

.

.

Just keep moving.

So long as Draco kept moving, he was fine, completely normal just like he used to be, until he stopped. Sitting in class, meals, staring blankly at the canopy of his bed and pretending he would fall asleep soon, the cold would creep into him. Starting in his feet and fingers, slowly creeping up his arms and legs with the cold sinking in like shoots of ice.

Pansy and Blaise had suggested he see a healer as if he had never thought of that himself. Healers couldn't help him. Too much exposure to Crucio caused permanent damage. Draco felt lucky he had only ended up with poor circulation rather than permanent nerve damage or a mind driven to madness.

Draco gave up on sleep when the warmth had leeched out of his mountain of blankets, and his feet started to ache. He wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and shuffled to the common room, lighting the fire with a flick of his wand and directing few logs onto the grate. He stretched his hands and feet out toward the fire as close as he dared until they prickled painfully with the needles of warmth that couldn't penetrate deep enough to warm his bones.

He looked over at the sound of approaching footsteps, "You're late," Draco said.

Potter ruffled a hand through his hair with a sheepish smile, "Ron wanted to chat."

Draco humphed faintly, watching as Potter sat in the middle of the couch, dropping the pillow he had brought with him at the end and laying back with a yawn.

Draco pulled his feet onto the couch, bracing his back on the couch arm. Potter's eyes sleepily blinked open and glanced down at him, moving his feet until they covered the tops of Draco's. He sighed and smiled faintly.

Draco shivered as Potter's permanent fever soaked through his socks. People weren't supposed to be so warm. But Potter was. It was like he was burning up inside. Draco feet felt warm for the first time since, well, the night before.

Draco leaned forward and pressed his hands over the tops of Potter's feet, "Why are you so warm?" he asked absently for about the tenth time.

"Why are you so cold?" Potter asked back like he always did, his eyes closed.

And here Draco would snipe something about it being winter and Potter being the freak, and- So, so many excuses. And he was so, so tired.

"Crucio," Draco said softly. He didn't think Potter would pity him but couldn't bring himself to look at him; so he told the back of the couch. "The dark lord just liked to punish someone when his plans went wrong. And Aunt Bella was… well, I was there. I was always there."

The couch creaked as Potter sat up, grabbing Draco's hands. When Draco looked up, Potter grinned and flopped back onto his pillow, dragging Draco with him.

Draco yelped in surprise, half catching himself, half sprawling over Potter's chest.

Potter let go of his hands and laughed.

Draco glared at him and pinched his arm.

"Ow! You git!" Potter yelped, jerking his arm away.

"You're lucky I didn't knee you in the groin," Draco grumbled. He gave Potter one more glare before dropping his cheek on Potter's chest.

Potter;s chest thrummed with his chuckle. He summoned Draco's blanket and tossed it over them. Draco shivered faintly as the blanket slowly began catching Potter's heat. Potter linked his hands together over Draco's back, right between his shoulder blades.

Draco could feel Potter's thumb absentmindedly moving up and down over his back.

"I died," Potter said quietly.

Draco looked up at him in surprise.

Potter stared at the ceiling, "In the Battle of Hogwarts. I really did die when Riddle hit me with the killing curse, then-" he squeezed his hands, and Draco felt the pressure around his body. Potter's heart was pounding "-I came back…"

Draco let his fingers curl around Potter's shoulders. His faded tee shirt was as soft as lambswool.

Potter sighed and looked down at Draco with a lopsided smile, "Ever since then I've been too warm."

"Hmm," Draco said absently, his face feeling inexplicably flushed. He pressed cheek back against Potter's chest. He could feel Potter's breath against his hair. "Great. What the hell are we supposed to talk about now?" he said irritably.

"You started it," Potter said with a laugh.

Draco hmphed into Potter's shirt.

"Besides," Potter went on, "I'm sure we'll think of something."

.

.

"You've been sleeping better."

"Hm?" Harry said vaguely, looking up from his textbook at Hermione.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You've been sleeping better," she repeated, tapping her cheek, "the circles under your eyes are gone, and you don't nap in class. As much as you used to anyway."

"Yeah," Harry said, tugging at his tie loose and unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt. He didn't really wear a robe anymore.

"But!" Hermione pointed her quill at him, "Ron says you're usually not in bed in the morning, and sometimes at night. That leads me to believe your sleep solution is somewhere, or some _one_ , else."

Harry blinked blankly at her, "I've been sleeping in the common room. On a couch," he added, "One of the big ones."

Hermione's brow furrowed, "A couch? A couch is more comfortable than your bed?"

"Well, it's colder and-" Harry joked, "-there's a lot less snoring."

Hermione glanced around at the common room's stone walls, "It is cold in here. That helps with your overheating problem?"

"My overheating problem?" Harry laughed, "You make it sound like a disease not fit for polite company."

"You aren't fit for polite company, Potter, in case it had escaped your notice," Draco said with a faint sneer as he strode past them, heading for the door.

Harry laughed. He was fairly impressed how Draco somehow managed to look poised while wearing three jumpers along with a heavy woollen robe. Harry closed his books, turning towards Draco in his chair.

Draco paused.

"Where are you going so late?" Harry asked, pleased at Draco had stopped.

"The library. There's a book I need before Pince leaves," Draco said, he took a step then hesitated again.

Harry quickly pushed his chair back and stepped through the maze of chairs to reach Draco, "For the charms assignment? I've been having trouble with that too." He held his breath, mostly expecting Draco to refuse him or even ridicule him but Draco only glanced at Hermione with a flicker of anxiety before heading out to the hall with Harry at his heel.

Harry gave Hermione a brief wave as he left, ignoring the puzzled look on her face.

They walked side by side in silence. Curfew was close, and along with the cold, not many people were prone to linger in the halls.

"Are you actually having trouble with the charms assignment or just looking for an excuse to harass me?" Draco asked as they turned the corner.

Harry looked over and smiled. Draco had pulled his hands into the sleeves of his jumpers and was clutching them tightly to his chest.

Harry shrugged, "It's tricky, all the little variations. I wished someone had warned me that so many high-level charms are intensely specific alterations to the basic charms you learn first off."

Draco smirked very faintly, glancing over at Harry, "I've mastered sixteen different light and illumination charms so far."

"Sixteen?" Harry groaned, "I've only found eight!"

Draco chuckled, "You can borrow, Ms Olga's Household Charms for Every Occasion, once we get back. I've finished with it for now." He leaned his face down, his hair fluttering down around his eyes as he huffed on the tips of his fingers. His cheeks and the tip of his nose were flushed pink by the chill.

Harry reached out, taking Draco by the arm and pulling him closer.

"Don't manhandle me," Draco muttered, none-the-less allowing Harry to pull his hand from the sweater.

Harry laced his fingers with Draco's. They were so cold they could have been carved out of marble. He stopped walking and rubbed Draco's fingers between both his hands until some warmth came back into them."The library is going to close soon," Draco said a sourly, his brow furrowing with irritation.

Harry gestured for Draco to give him his other hand, "Hurry up then."

Draco shoved his hand in Harry's face, glowering at Harry's collar, "Why do you even bother with a tie if you're not going to wear it properly," he muttered.

Harry grinned, pressing Draco's hands together between his own, "I was wearing it properly. I just got warm and had to loosen it."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Are you even wearing a tie under all those jumpers?" Harry asked.

"Of course I am," Draco said, affronted at the very notion, "I'm not some sort of hooligan."

Harry burst out laughing.

Draco leaned against Harry's shoulder with a chuckle of his own.

Harry lead the way to the library, holding one of Draco's hand tightly, wrapping the other around his forearm.

"This is ridiculous," Draco sighed, "I feel like I should have a bonnet and a bustle."

"I could let go?" Harry offered, loosening his grip.

Draco tightened his grip, "Don't be stupid."

"Alright," Harry grinned, "What book are you getting anyway?"

"Ms Olga's Charms for Seasonal Celebrations and before you ask, yes you may borrow it after," Draco said.

Harry pressed a little closer against Draco, "Thanks."

.

.

Draco licked his lips and twitched his wand slightly more the left as he performed the fairy light charm, a small orb of green light pooled at the end. Once it was the size he wanted, about as big as a grape, he made a minute circle with the tip of his wand and traced a small U away from the green light, his wand tailing a strand of silver, then repeated the charm incantation and movement, central and down. A blue light a little darker than a lumos began to form, his brow furrowed as he concentrated, making sure the lights would all be the same size and shape, connecting them with silver threads of light. He followed the blue light with a yellow then red and purple.

He was in the middle of making an orange light when a loud knock from the door to his rooms broke his concentration. Draco frowned at the end of his wand where a light ought to have been and instead was nothing. The rest of the fairy lights stayed stable and glowed prettily against the sheets.

"What do you want, Potter?" Blaise asked coolly.

"Well, um, I was looking for Draco?" Potter asked as eloquently as always.

Draco pushed himself up to the top of his bed, pulling the blankets down just enough to peek out.

Potter rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, looking nervous.

Blaise was sitting forward defensively on the edge of his vision, "Can't you leave off, Potter? Haven't you anyone else to harass?"

Draco saw Potter's brow furrow, and he interrupted before the conversation could become an argument, "It's fine." They both turned to look at him, "You're here about the book?" Draco asked.

Potter nodded.

Draco sighed, "Come in then." He held up the edge of the blanket, "take off your shoes and don't stretch the opening too much or it'll break the space."

Potter leaned over, peering into the blankets, "Oh, a wizarding space? ...In blankets?"

Draco frowned at him, "What? Didn't you ever build a blanket fort growing up?"

Potter shrugged, kicking off his shoes and sitting on Draco's pillow.

"What the fuck?" Blaise said faintly.

"I promised to lend Potter a book for class," Draco said as he scooted down into the small tent sized space.

"I won't be long," Potter told Blaise. He slipped his feet through, wiggling down until he was even with Draco, "So this is how wizards build a blanket fort?"

Draco raised an eyebrow, "How else would you do it?"

"With a lot more blankets usually," Potter said.

Draco looked around critically, "My mother is particularly good at temporary extension charms. It's just that the bigger you make them, the more likely they are to collapse, and there's no reason to make it bigger since it would only lose heat faster and-"

"I like it," Potter said and smiled at him.

Draco smiled faintly back and turned to the book he had left by the side of his pillow, "I've been practising the fairy light charms."

Potter shifted onto his back and looked up at all the different fairy lights Draco had strung across the ceiling of the small space. "Wow…" He said, reaching up and brushing his fingers through the blue light. He turned his head to ask Draco, "How do you keep them all the same size?"

Their faces were mere inches apart. Draco could see flecks of brown in the green of Potter's eyes. His eyelashes were very long.

"Draco?" Potter asked, a smile curling up on his lips.

Draco took a deep breath, tearing his eyes away, "I'm cold."

"Oh," Potter said, "well, move over." He pulled his arm up, wrapping it around Draco's shoulders and pulling him closer.

Draco rested his head on Potter's shoulder and took out his wand, "I shall show you how to keep the size consistent. Pay attention. It's all in the wrist-"

.

.

"No."

"Hermione!" Harry laughed.

Hermione shook her head, "Absolutely not. I don't- No." She stomped ahead of them.

"It's not that bad is it?" Ron said, trying to catch up to her, "Harry just got a better mark than us- you. It's bound to happen one of these days, right?"

Hermione stopped in her tracks, "This is just like sixth-year potions."

"It's nothing like sixth-year potions," Harry said with a sigh.

"You had help," Hermione said, pointing an accusing finger at him.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Yeah, but not like sixth-year." He flipped open his bag and took out the two Ms Olga's charm books he had planned to return before dinner and held them out, "See? Just regular library books."

Hermione snatched them out of his hands, "You used these? Why didn't you share them?"

"I was borrowing them myself," Harry said.

Hermione was already opening the first book.

"I was going to return them before dinner," Harry protested.

Hermione nodded absently, walking into the common room as she read, "I'll just have a look, then take them back myself."

"Mione!" Ron groaned, "I thought we were going to have, y'know, like quality time now that the big exam is done."

"Heating charms!"

"Uhuh," Hermione said absently, dropping onto a couch by the fire, "We can read it together then."

Ron groaned, shot Harry a beleaguered look and sat on the couch next to her.

"Heating charms!" Seamus snapped from the other side of the fireplace, "Everyone's contributing! Come on!"

Hermione took her wand out and cast a wordless heating charm over the room. Ron quickly followed suit.

Harry cast one as well, over by the fire where it wouldn't settle on him too much. All the furniture in the room had been pushed into the tight ring around the blazing fireplace so you would have to step over armrests, footstools and huddled students to go in or out. That didn't stop what seemed like every eighth-year student gathering clustered together in the crowded mess. The largest sofa had been left by the window, apparently too heavy to bother moving.

Outside snow was falling in tiny crystals, sparkling when the light from inside hit them. Harry pulled the latest Quidditch Monthly out of his bag and laid back on the large couch, enjoying the cold radiated from the tall windows.

He was deep into an article about the viability of the new horseshoe feint in Quidditch matches when he heard someone stomping down the hallway from their dorms. It was a very familiar stomp. A smile crept onto Harry's face as Draco stopped next to him.

Harry glanced over his magazine. Draco was wearing a jumper and had a blanket as well as his comforter wrapped around his shoulders but was still shivering.

For a second they just looked at one another and then Draco glowered at him. He kicked Harry's leg out of the way so he could get on, bracing his arm on the back of the sofa and shoving Harry's magazine out of the way so he could collapse onto Harry unimpeded.

Harry laughed in surprise, halfheartedly smacking Draco with his magazine.

Draco grumbled something into Harry's chest, pulling his blankets over his head and wriggling around to pull his blankets tighter around himself. Harry propped his magazine on Draco's back, absent-mindedly tangling their legs together.

"Harry?" Ron called, his voice strangled.

Harry looked over at Ron and found the whole room leaning over the backs of their chairs to stare at him.

"I fucking told you," Blaise hissed to Pansy.

Pansy responded with a faint whimper.

Ron's whole face had gone so pale his freckles stood out like ink spots.

"Um, Harry?" Hermione said quietly, her voice carrying in the dead silence, "Are- Are you dating, Malfoy?"

Harry blinked, his heart rate picking up. He pulled up the edge of Draco's blanket, "Are we dating?" he asked.

Draco huffed in annoyance, turning his head to prop his chin on Harry's chest. His fine blond hair clung to his cheek in a loose staticy mess, and Harry found himself carefully trying to tuck it back neatly behind his ear.

Draco's hands pressed against Harry's chest as he leaned forward and kissed him with lips that seemed unfairly softly. He slowly pulled back, searching Harry's expression and then smiled faintly, "I suppose we are," he said quietly and pulled blankets back over himself.

Harry looked back over at Hermione, "Looks that way," he said with a brilliant smile, curling an arm over Draco's back before picking up his magazine.

-Fin-


End file.
